Session Summaries
This page serves as an account for the journeys made out into the lands of Eskarya by adventurers brash and bold. __TOC__ (06/05/19) - Kythorn 1495 DR Involved party members * Amdia Zotudi * Halvar Fireforge * Lerissa Torment * Jamaal al'Hesan * Vyodros Upon arriving at the improvised stronghold of Fort Eskarya, a previously abandoned holdfast now occupied by the Lord's Alliance, the adventurers are introduced to Lord Aldwin Thorne, his trusty hound Eskarya and his assistant Bravenheim. They are tasked with exploring the lands beyond and are informed that so far scouts have located a chapel to the north, a ruined fort to the east and an unknown threat to the north-east from which the scouting party has not returned. At Vyodros' suggestion, the party set out north to the chapel, but upon entering the forests to the north of the fort are quickly set upon by a pack of wolves. Vyodros and Jamaal are slain, but through the efforts of the rest of the party, they are returned to Fort Eskarya and revived. While Jamaal proves more hesitant following the encounter, Vyodros is only emboldened by the experience, and once more the party sets off north to the chapel, this time through the grasslands as to give the forest a wide berth. Vyodros' brashness serves to punish him when he triggers a crossbow trap upon their arrival to the church, which they find to be inhabited by goblins under the leadership of Boss Slug, a goblin clad in chainmail. While successful in dispatching the goblins, the party disturbs a spectre lingering within the skeleton of a long-dead soul, and learns that the crypts beneath the chapel are filled with undead - seemingly commanded by a sentient being. Through his investigations, Vyodros surmises that the place of worship is dedicated to a nature deity called Kaarin, although much time has passed since the chapel was seemingly in use. The ruins are filled with tracks of wolves and goblins, as well as an old trail of a strange blood-like substance. With the sun setting, the party fortifies within the larder, and takes watches. At night, Jamaal observes robbed figures taking the bodies of the fallen goblins and offering them to a large solitary tree in a courtyard within the chapel grounds, prompting floral growth from the soil where the bodies were laid. Come the morning, there is little evidence of the offering, and so, after discovering what appear to be four barrels filled with valuable vintages of wine decide to return to Fort Eskarya, in hope of obtaining a cart to aid in their pillaging. Travelling once again around the forests, they are instead set upon by a trio of giant vultures on the plains. The birds are quickly dealt with by Amdia's quarterstaff and Vyodros' mace, and the party arrives back at the fort once more. (13/05/19) - Kythorn 1495 DR Involved party members * Alton Elenaur * Halvar Fireforge * Lerissa Torment * Jamaal al'Hesan * Manyn Runda † * Vyodros Setting out into an unnaturally heavy rain harrying them, the party travelled once again for the Chapel, seeking to retrieve the barrels of wine. As they travel along the coast, they spied five figures ahead speaking some unknown language. Fired upon suddenly by the figures, which turn out to be gnolls, the party engage. After two of their number are slain, they turned to flee, only for a third to be cut down by Lerissa as it tried to run. After looting arrows, they discovered a crude sigil of a wolf's head set into a clawed golden frame. The party was later ambushed by further members of the faction later on that same expedition by a group led by a Gnoll Pack Lord and a Giant Hyena, which were eventually defeated - although Vyodros was nearly slain in the process. After taking a short break, the party continued onwards and arrives at the Chapel of Kaarin. They found the entrance-way to be inhabited by twig blights which Manyn set ablaze, garnering the ire of a number of needle blights. Once they were destroyed, primarily by the burning hands of Manyn, Halvar discovered a dryad warning them in Elvish of disrupting the Tree of Life, the Tree of Kaarin. Alton, after explaining the party's intention to deaf ears turns to deception and then to threats when this fails. Alton, Halvar and Jamaal are restrained by magical vines that bind their feet, prompting Manyn to set the tree in the central courtyard ablaze with a firebolt. The tree animates, revealing itself to be a Treant that promptly flattens Manyn with a single strike. While Alton weeps for his fallen friend, the party set up for the night shortly after the Treant returning to his tree form, watched over by the dryad. When Alton later tried to communicate with her again, she offered nothing but warnings and prophesies of betrayal, before vanishing. Come the morning, Manyn's body was offered up in the courtyard in the Chapel by Alton, after which a vine blight with golden tendrils grows in his place. It did not respond to Alton's attempts to communicate, instead journeying further into the ruined church. Having collected up the wine, the party - down one member - returned to Fort Eskarya, selling the vintages for a total of 300gp. (07/07/19) - Flamerule 1495 DR Involved party members * Halvar Fireforge * Lerissa Torment * Jamaal al'Hesan * Amdia Zotudi The party set out to the north-east, in the hope of finding the tracks of the lost scouts that ventured out in the hope of finding valuable ores in an abandoned mine. Upon the first night, Lerissa spotted a a troupe of Kenku who swiftly pointed at the party's belongings in a demanding way. Halvar, refusing, immediately use artificer magic to conjure a contraption that exuded breaths of fire like a dragon. A battle ensued, as the Kenku ran, disengaged, and returned. With two of the Kenku slain, other remaining two ran and hid, but not before stealing Halvar's bag of belongings. An hour later and the Kenku returned, attempting to steal Amdia's bag, but Jamaal stayed awake and alert, firing arrows through the darkness to slay them both as they fled. Continuing on, the party found the entrance to a mine shaft at the base of the mountain range. See the banners of the gnoll tribe, and the hunting hyena pack in the courtyard, the party quickly dispatched them after a failed attempt to approach stealthily. A short rest to regain their strength and they entered one of the three mines. Finding dead gnolls and hyenas, with stalactites protruding through skulls and surrounded by rocks, they approached cautiously, but it was not even to stop Lerissa and Halvar being attacked by darkmantles and piercers, disguised as stalagmites. Lengthy battles with the monstrosities, and they were defeated. Continuing deeper into the mine, they found the three scouts that had been send out by Lord Aldwin Thorne. Stealthily scouting ahead, Jamaal silently killed the on guard hyena, but was not so lucky as he fired at the fiendish gnoll who seemed to be guarding a room of treasure. With a battle ensuing, Lerissa harnessed her radiant energy to defeat the gnoll with the help of Halvar, as Jamaal was taken aback by another darkmantle which attacked at the worst possible moment. Amongst the hundreds of gold worth of treasure found at the mine, it was a black dagger that was of most interest to the party. Which, upon touch, spoke to those who held it. After passing a few hands, Amdia tucked the blade safely into her belt, much to the blade's disgruntlement as he begged for kinship and conversation. The next night, as whispers grew in the party's minds, Halvar was bewitched and attempted to steal the blade from Amdia's belt. Shortly after attempting to beguile Lerissa. After confronting the sentient blade, it was introduced as Vanir. He promised Amdia that he would stop attempting to charm and enchant her companions, if only she would let him in and allow him to present her with great power. Reluctantly agreeing, Amdia took time to attune to the blade, and with Vanir, gaining great powers in the process. No longer able to shut out the voice of Vanir, the two were entwined and connected, as a pact was formed between the Great Old One and the monk. (20/07/19) - Flamerule 1495 DR Involved party members * Artos Úrath * Jamaal al'Hesan * Lerissa Torment * Amdia Zotudi * Irnar Firebeard The party first set out north-east towards an Ettin’s cave, hoping to scout out the area, but were met by an Oni named Rairaku, who claimed that he was the leader of the land and was allying with the settlers of the cave. He also told the party members to leave the land. A fight broke out between Rairaku and the party and Rairaku demonstrated his ability to turn invisible. After becoming visible once more and knocking out members of the party with a wave of ice, the Oni said that he would kill one member of the party. Grabbing Lerissa and flying upwards, he fulfilled that promise, dropping the tiefling from two-hundred feet up. Warning the party once more, Rairaku assumed Lerissa’s form and left for the east. The party discovered that Lerissa was an evil worshipper of Tiamat and Artos sensed Vanir’s presence but disregarded it as the party turned to leave. Jamaal led the party back to Fort Eskarya but the group was met by wolves along the way. They made quick work of the beasts and continued the trek back to the settlement after a rest. They warned Lord Thorne of the shapeshifter but were met with a dismissive tone. The group was then met by a new arrival, Dain Uchif, who joined them as they headed east along the coast. They were met by a group of goblinoids led by a bugbear. They were asked to pay a toll but refused. Amdia, Dain, Artos and Irnar made quick work of the bugbear as Jamaal fought against his goblin minions. Artos was downed by arrows but was healed by Irnar as Dain and Amdia joined the fight against the lesser goblinoids. The rest of the creatures slain, the party settled down for the night and, after their rest, continued onwards until they found a ruined keep. Jamaal spotted humans wielding primitive weapons and wearing leather and rags and warned the group of them, but Artos approached openly. The group tailed behind as Artos was led into the keep, where he met Kuro, the tribe’s leader. Kuro revealed that Rairaku had all-but enslaved the tribe, and is one of the strongest beings on the surface of Eskarya. The tribe didn’t revere Rairaku as a God, keeping to the faith of the God Dualdir, but the Oni was too strong for the tribe to oppose. Kuro did say that in exchange for weapons of iron and steel, he would give information to the party. As a show of good faith, he then warned the party of kobolds to the north. The party left for Fort Eskarya again and settled down on the road. They were approached by blink dogs, one of which Jamaal struck with an arrow. Amdia managed to calm the dog and it limped off into the night with its pack. The party continued their journey until they again had to make camp for the night. In the late hours of the night, the party was attacked by a large group of bugbears and goblins. After Irnar was felled by javelins and Dain killed in battle, Jamaal, Amdia and Artos managed to retreat as the goblinoids looted and mutilated their dead companions. Defeated but alive, the trio returned to Fort Eskarya; less bold, perhaps. (27/07/19) - Flamerule 1495 DR Involved party members * Artos Úrath * Castien of Alyssim * Perven * Siora Daeven * Nira Thiloriasien The group made up of fairly green adventurers made their way into the wilderness in search of the Kobold lair that Kuro had told the guild of. On the way, they discovered a tribe of Vegepygmy, who seemed to be defending a cave. They were non-confrontational, but defensive of their position. The party agreed to move on, after Perven spoke to them using his 'Speak to Plants' ability. After fighting off three Jackalweres, the group moved on to find the cave of the Kobolds, after a group of Kobolds attacked them in the night, not 6 miles from the cave. Easily overcoming them, the group attacked the cave in the morning. Facing off against sorcerers, dragonshields and inventors, the party were forced to retreat after vials of fire, acid, bags of wasps, skunks and rot grubs were used against the group. Castien, Artos and Nira were riddled with rot worms for a time, seconds from death as they went to attack their hearts. But with the help of Siora's burning hair, they were able to burn away the grubs. Retreating, they abandoned the lair for now and returned to the fort, where Siora and Artos argued over loot and who who get what and how it should be shared and how they should pay their taxes. After blood was spilt, with Siora casting scorching ray at Artos, they were both arrested and taken before Aldwin Thorne, who took three adventuring days of wages for their insolence and gave them three days in the dungeons, with no monetary reward for the day of adventuring. (30/07/19) - Flamerule 1495 DR Involved party members * Artos Úrath * Castien of Alyssim * Nira Thiloriasien * Perven * Tancred Brossfeather † * Vyodros Brazenly leading the way despite a complete lack of knowledge of the path ahead, Vyodros quickly gets the party lost, leading them into the way of a contigency of orcs. Perven in bear form quickly dispatches the orc soldiers, leaving the captain the last remaining of the scouting party. After giving gifts of unusual seeds to Vyodros and an ornate goblet to Artos, Vyodros brands the orc captain with his symbol and releases him - hoping to have made a new disciple. The party continues onwards, coming across a lone hobgoblin upon the road. The cloaked figure casts a blanket of fog, into which it disappears despite the group's efforts to find them. Passing by Ettin Cave, the party make camp after a few hours. In the night Vyodros steals Artos' new goblet, but is caught in the act of trying to weight the bag with a rock. Tancred's watch over the camp proves a more soothing affair as he practices his lute. The party however finds themselves set upon by cockatrices as they wait near the Kobold Lair, although the foul beasts are quickly dispatched - but not before Artos has a brush with a case of petrification. The respite is short-lived however, as a phase spider poisons Artos and paralyses him. Nira sets the ethereal arachnid alight and the party, once Artos gasps back into control of his body, continues to the Kobold Lair. After attempting to kill the guards from range, the party ventures into the cave and deftly avoids several traps - traps that they would use on the guard drake loosed upon them near the entranceway. Bypassing further traps, Vyodros stumbles into a collection of rot grubs, warps and centipedes released by kobold inventors and nearly falls foul to them before the swollen maggots are burned away by Nira, allowing the Tempest Cleric to blast them away with a thunderwave augmented by his destructive wrath. The party moves to engage the kobold inventors and sorcerers, slaying all in time - but not before Tancred is slain when his chest is torn asunder by the spells of one of the draconic mages. Finding a vast assortment of loot, seemingly once an offering to an unknown third-party, the party has within their possession an Alchemy Jug, a Decanter of Endless Water, Keoghtom's Ointment, some Goggles of Night previously claimed by Artos and a few other items thus far undetermined - among them an origami skull made from a spell scroll and a silver-plate bound tome called the Enchiridion of the Silver Void. On the journey home, Nira examines her new boots which appear to magical in some manner but finds little change in her ability or constitution. This prompts discussion about the draconic description of "kicking boots for elves and stuff" as the party makes their way home to Fort Eskarya. (04/10/19) - Marpenoth 1495 DR Involved party members * Alton Elenaur * Mogur * Nira Thiloriasien * Perven * Uriven Tausis * Vyodros Once again, Vyodros leads the party into the great unknown, quickly become lost near the Ettin Cave - garnering the ire of the Ettin who gives chase to attack. Mogur, the half-orc barbarian handily survives a pair of strikes that would fell even the hardiest adventurer, before claiming the killing blow as the party rushes to defend him. The party decides to enter the Ettin Cave, finding it filled with spiderwebs and the scent of decay, as well as the distant sound of rumbling further within. Whilst exploring, Nira stumbles across a roper, a foul beast capable of disguising itself as a stalagmite, cruel tentacles grappling Alton, Nira, Uriven and Vyodros before finally being overcome by a spiritual weapon wielded by the Tempest Cleric. Looting the alcove, the party finds a wooden staff, a silver mirror, a pewter chime, a pair of golden candlesticks, a chest filled with ten Azurites and five Moss Agates and a lump of obsidian, four potions of healing, rusted plate armour and a large diamond. The party starts to decide on what to do next, but Vyodros spies a large stack of spider eggs and elects to eradicate them with a vast thunderwave strike - only to be instantly webbed by a giant spider in retaliation. The party once again rushes to the aid of one of their own. Vyodros is paralysed by poison, although Mogur quickly fells the spider with a well-placed javelin. From the dark, a warg lunges forth only to be put down by a Guilding Bolt from Nira and a heavy crossbow bolt from Alton. Vyodros, however, remains paralysed and is thus carried around by the half-orc barbarian as the party explores further into the cave. Upon finding the seemed bed of the Ettin, Alton locates a cloak that the party establishes as magical in nature, made of a light fabric and of elvish design. After much bickering, Alton defends his claim and the party takes a rest in the liberated cave. Upon waking, the Drow finds himself attuned to his new cloak - a Cloak of Elvenkind. The following day is cooler, significantly so, and although the winds continue to blow the party finds itself thankful that the rain has come to an end. The day's travel goes uneventfully and so the party makes camp for the night, taking turns to watch. Halfway through the night, during Urizen's watch, the sound of heavy footsteps and nearing growls prompts the party to waking. A four-legged beast comes leaping from the darkness only to vanish, but while the party bickers about what they saw, Vyodros begins to levitate and Uriven is suddenly mauled by a teleporting beast. As the party fights on, Mogur repeatedly attempts (and fails) to grapple the barghests. One of the fiends is defeated by a bolt from the half-elf sorcerer Nira, prompting the remaining fiend to flee. In spite of the attempted escape, the barghest is lit up by Faerie Fire, prompting javelins, guiding bolts and heavy crossbow bolts towards the tree in which it hides. Fleeing once more, with one final crossbow bolt in pursuit, the beast is felled by Alton, allowing the party to return to their rest once more. The following day, the party reaches the Kobold Cave, traversing a fast-flowing stream of saltwater led by Mogur. All is going well until Nira slips, finding herself swept away. The party moves to rescue her, only for the half-elf to vanish as a harpoon shoots through her chest, dragging her deep under the water. Mogur, Perven and Uriven dive in after her, seeking to free her from the Merrow that ensnares her. Alton and Vyodros instead find themselves distracted by the approach of a Kobold Sorcerer and a Guard Drake, whilst Uriven is swept close to the Merrow, destroying it with an acid-tinged Chromatic Orb. Nira is rescued by Perven and all those within the water work to escape the the stream. Mogur finds himself overwhelmed by the effects of a charm spell, swinging at Vyodros to little effect. In response, the cleric commands the half-orc to swim - which Mogur does, belly-flopping into the stream. Separated, the majority of the party (having been swept downstream) is attacked by a group of Kobold Inventors with Rot Grubs. Nira is infected, only to purge herself moments later - but such efforts deal damage to the druid Perven in his giant spider form. The battle continues, with Nira and Perven attacking the marauding kobolds, Uriven continuing to climb a cliff, Mogur taking repeatedly swims, Alton hiding and Vyodros finding a fanciful warhammer upon a podium. With Guiding Bolts, Burning Hands, Chromatic Orbs and Thunderwaves alike the path is cleared of Kobolds, while the battle rages between Vyodros, Alton and their new foe - Mogur. Although with the empowered lightning-infused might of his new warhammer Vyolnir Vyodros manages to strike the half-orc down, Mogur rises once more - uncharmed. Alton strikes him down with the discarded mace nonetheless. With the bulk of the cave now cleared, the party claims further loot in the form of a dragon's fang hanging from a leather cord, a strange silver egg marked with alien symbols, a stiletto dagger carved from jade and twelve potions. (27/10/19) - Marpenoth 1495 DR Involved party members * Carnifex * Gimble Waddleduck † * Lost Flame * Jarrik Thunderfall † * Tolrond of Windvale † The second wave of party members * Fervour * Gael Eserrah * Jebeddo Oneshoe Led by the battlemaster Tolrond, the party of new arrivals set forth into the wilds of Eskarya, bound for the mines in the peaks to the north. Guided well on their path, they nearly reached their quarry before trouble finally befell them in the form of a pack of wolves that ambush them from the cliff side. Jarrik was eviscerated immediately, but beyond a miscalculated sleep spell from Gimble, the rest of the pack is dealt with promptly. Nonetheless, the day's travel had used most of the hours of sunlight, so they decided to make camp. A couple of hours into the night they were awoken during Carnifex's watch by the approach of maruading drow crossbowmen. In his panic, Gimble casts Magic Missile, letting forth a Wild Magic surge that grants him the spontaneous ability to teleport. Lost Flame fells one with an arrow, but poison arrows floors both Tolrond and Carnifex as the remaining party fights on. They do not fight on for very long. Following Jarrik into his grave, Gimble and Tolrond expire from their wounds, while Lost Flame and Carnifex fall unconscious and are dragged into a nearby cave entrance, awaking in the Underdark caged and stripped of their belongings. Via sending stones, a message is sent to Fort Eskarya and thus another party of adventurers is sent forth. One amongst them, the Rock Gnome Jebeddo, finds the entrance way and so they rush to the aid of those captured in the dark below. Such actions find them quickly discovered by the drow within, while Lost Flame and Carnifex take an opportunity to fight free of their captures as they are corralled towards a fighting pit. Lost Flame carries Carnifex free from the fighting pit, while the others start to make their way towards the sounds of jeering and shouting. The party reunites in the pit as Gael's Magic Stones prove very effective at holding back the remaining defenders. On their frantic escape from the cave they find a fierce looking scimitar that Carnifax claims, intending for it to be his new Pact Weapon. Category:Session Summaries Category:Meta